by M. D. Cooper
She yelled over her shoulder at Isa and Martin, “Run!”
Erin didn’t recognize the weapon, and assumed it must be a Transcend rifle. In any case, the interface mapped to her HUD in a moment, and she mentally pulled the trigger, firing a pulse blast into the soldier’s groin.
He fell backward, and she fired another blast into his torso before flipping the weapon to its projectile mode and putting a kinetic round into his chest. He wasn’t dead, but from the groaning, she knew he’d be out for the count.
Erin spun to see Martin and Isa rushing for the door, a still-wailing Jude in Martin’s arms.
Her eyes swept across the space, noting several ruined displays, and then saw that the enemy guarding the orange woman was gone. She spotted him moving around one of Isa’s art displays for a clear shot and she dove to the ground, lobbing a series of kinetic rounds in his direction.
One hit him in the shoulder, and he returned fire.
Erin was about to move to cover, when a shout came from behind another display.
“Drop it, buddy!”
Tanis’s voice was unmistakable. Erin shifted to see the governor advancing on the soldier from one side, with Joe coming in from the other.
The man lowered his weapon and then let it fall to the ground before placing his hands on his head.
“You OK?” Tanis asked Erin as Joe kicked the soldier’s rifle away.
“Yeah,” Erin said as she rose. “What the hell is going on?”
“You’re locked down, private,” Joe said to the soldier, and then turned to Erin. “Nice jump. Good thing you have a spacer’s mods, or that would have broken your ankles.”
She shrugged. “Well, you don’t get to my point in life without being able to work out newtons of force and tensile strength numbers on the fly. But seriously, what—”
“It was a drill,” Tanis said as she glanced around the space at the mess made by the fleeing patrons and attacking soldiers. “I didn’t expect them to hit us here, but not knowing when it’s going to come is sort of the point.”
The man Erin shot groaned as he struggled to his feet. “For low-v rounds, those sure hurt like a bugger.”
“Head outside and see the medic,” Joe instructed him as Tanis surveyed the space.
“I guess we’re the last ones. I need to talk to Commander Dell.” Tanis said to Erin, “You should go check on your family.”
Erin nodded mutely, the adrenaline fading and the shock of what had just occurred settling in. She followed Tanis and Joe outside to see that the street was full of people standing in small groups and talking. Some of the soldiers who had been attacking the art gallery were chatting with locals, their weapons slung casually over their shoulders as they made sure everyone was OK.
Martin and Isa were standing together across the street from the gallery. Jude was still howling in fear, and Martin was trying to comfort and quiet him. Isa looked defeated and sad.
Erin walked up to them. “Shit…glad you two are OK.”
“A drill,” Martin said through gritted teeth. “A fucking invasion drill. Right in the middle of Isa’s opening event.”
“Yeah,” Erin sighed as she glanced at Isa. Her wife’s hair had been messed up during the attack and was half hanging down. She’d also lost a shoe. “Yeah, it was…unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate?” asked Martin. “Look around you. Or go find your friend and ask her. Tanis must have known all about it. She probably arranged it!”
Martin’s vehemence caught Erin off guard, and she found herself reeling from the onslaught. But he was right, Isa’s party had been ruined, and the gallery and much of the art she’d worked on for months had been damaged. By Tanis’s own words, it had been something the governor knew about, but she had her reasons, if Erin could get her to explain….
Erin didn’t need to go far to find her; the governor and Joe had just stepped away from the company commander and were walking toward them. She hadn’t noticed before, but Tanis’s dress was torn off at the knees, and there were some bloodstains on her calves, but otherwise they both were unharmed and relaxed.
“I didn’t mention it before, but you did really well, Erin,” Tanis said as she reached the family.
“Yeah, you flew down like an avenging angel,” said Joe. “I don’t think anyone was expecting that. I was impressed.”
“But you were expecting the attack, right?” Martin was glaring at both of them. Jude had finally stopped screaming and was sobbing sad, hiccupy sobs as he rested his head on his father’s shoulder.
“I did know the drill was scheduled for some time this week,” Tanis replied as she gave Jude a kind look. “These things are arranged months in advance. It was an unfortunate coincidence it took place tonight, Isa.”
Isa hung her head. Erin could tell she was trying not to cry.
“But the good thing is,” Tanis continued, “it went off well, there was minimal damage, and emergency response teams kicked in just as they should have—especially from unexpected quarters.” She patted Erin on the back. “By the way, Isa, I think your gallery is fantastic. I’m sure you’re going to do great business. You can apply to the Invasion Defense Fund for compensation for any damages. I’m sorry that we have to go, but we need to review some other sites and then oversee the planetary briefing before we return to Carthage tomorrow evening. But my offer to babysit still stands. If you guys want to take that trip to Athens, let me know. I’m sure we can arrange something.”
“Always happy to have Jude on the ranch,” Joe said in parting before he and Tanis walked away.
“If she thinks I would leave our son in her care after tonight,” Martin muttered once the governor was out of earshot, “she must be insane. I’m not letting Jude anywhere near her or her family. The woman’s a psychopath.”
“Oh, that’s going a bit far,” said Erin.
She felt sorry for Jude, and Isa too, but she could also see Tanis’s point of view. She had bigger concerns to worry about than one small family or a friend’s party.
“You’re actually going to stand up for her after what she did?” said Martin.
“What she said was right. She couldn’t change the schedule; this kind of thing takes a lot of organization, and Isa only invited her to her opening party yesterday.”
“Tanis terrified our son and ruined Isa’s evening, and she didn’t even have the decency to apologize.”
“She probably doesn’t think she has anything to apologize for,” said Erin. “Like I said—”
“I heard what you said,” Martin spat. He was pale with anger.
Erin was about to respond when Isa raised her hands in a conciliatory gesture. “Please, don’t argue. It’s only going to make everything worse.”
Martin contented himself with glaring at Erin. Jude, exhausted by the night’s events, was nodding off. Martin adjusted his hold on the boy so that he could better support his head.
“Let’s go inside,” said Isa. “I want to try to find my shoe. Then I want to go home. I’ll come back and assess the damage in the morning.”
Erin wrapped an arm around Isa as they trudged across the street to the gallery. She felt so bad for her, and Jude’s cries had torn at her heart, yet she knew the governor was only doing her job. She had a duty to protect New Canaan. Knowing Tanis, that was what she would do, regardless of who she might disturb or upset.
She hoped that when he’d had time to calm down, Martin would understand. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so angry, not even when she’d accidentally sent shockwaves through his seeding site on the Med.
When it came to the things that were dear to him, he thought with his heart, not his head.
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
STELLAR DATE: 05.12.8941 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Family home, eastern shores of Ithaca
REGION: Troy, New Canaan System
The following morning, the mood at breakfast was tense. Isa looked from Martin to Erin and then to Jude. Martin’s expression was stony. Erin was quiet and pensive. Only Jude seemed his normal self.
Then Isa actually looked at what her son was doing: swooping his toast down into his egg and smashing it to pieces. His behavior appeared to be a re-enactment of Erin’s rescue attempt at the invasion drill.
Perhaps he’s suffering from the aftereffects of last night too.
Isa sighed and turned her gaze from her family to the view from the terrace. It was a far nicer sight. The rising sun was sending streaks of gleaming light across the Sea of Marmara. The breeze that blew her hair away from her face was gentle and balmy. She couldn’t wish for a better place to be or better people to be with, but somehow everything had gone wrong, and she didn’t know how to put it right.
Ever since their altercation the night before, Erin and Martin hadn’t spoken to each other in the way they usually would. They weren’t exactly refusing to speak, but they were being frighteningly civil. Isa had never seen either of them so polite. She hated it. Should they talk about what had happened? Isa guessed that opening up the subject of the invasion drill would be like dropping a gram of antimatter on the table. The best she could hope for was that no one would mention the event that had ruined her opening party ever again. But she doubted that would be enough to mend the rift between her husband and wife.
“Are you going in to work today, Martin?” Erin asked.
“Yes, I thought I would, if that’s all right with you guys. Still lots to do.”
“Fine by me,” Erin said.
“Me too,” said Isa. “I think I’ll go over to the gallery. I need to contact the assessors and make a claim for damages.”
Martin’s jaw muscle twitched.
Erin studied her cereal closely.
“We’re beginning the visitor facilities construction phase at the park,” said Martin, “so I’d like to spend some time there today.”
“What facilities will you have?” Erin asked.
“Hotels, education centers, banqueting halls, observation decks, and so on. Just the usual. Lindsey planned it all out months ago with a couple of architects who have experience in designing underwater environments.”
“Just the usual?” asked Isa. “That’s quite a list. It sounds like the construction of all that will take longer than it has to seed the park with creatures.”
“No, it’s only going to take a few days,” Martin replied. “Lindsey got permission to use picotech. She’s waiting on the delivery of the modules.”
“It’s going to take a few days to use picotech?” asked Erin. “That stuff works in seconds.”
“Yes, it’s going to take longer in the park,” Martin replied. He looked as though he was about to say more, but instead, he took a bite of toast and chewed it grimly.
“I’ve used picotech in construction before,” Erin said when it was clear that no one else was going to fill the silence. “Someone tried to steal it. That was how I got to know Usef; he led the detail that caught the thief.”
“Is that so?” Isa said. “You never told us about that. What happened?”
“I was working with a young engineer, Sasha. We were….” Erin glanced at Martin, who continued to look away from the group. She sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll tell you another time.”
“I thought I would take Jude in with me today,” Martin said.
“Take Jude with you?” Isa asked. “How? You said it’s a half-hour swim to the labs.”
“I had something made for him,” Martin said, his expression softening a smidgen.
Isa also relaxed a little and hoped it was a sign that he was beginning to get over his anger about the drill and Erin’s response.
“I didn’t want to bring it out last night because that was supposed to be about you and your gallery. I’ll go and get it now.” He stood up and walked into the house.
“What do you think it is?” Isa asked Erin.
“Maybe a little wetsuit? I don’t know.” Though her tone was normal, unhappiness creased Erin’s features.
“Here it is,” Martin said as he returned to the terrace. Balanced between his arms was a child-sized submersible. “Jude’s very first vehicle.”
“That has to be the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen,” said Isa.
“He doesn’t have to operate it,” Martin explained. “Eamon can drive it and make sure he isn’t ever in any danger. And when I’m at the labs, he can come out with me in one of the submersibles they have there.”
“He’s going to love it,” Isa said. “Look what Daddy brought you,” she said to Jude.
“That for me? I want in it!” The little boy abandoned his toast-smashing activities and wriggled in his seat, trying to get down and reach his gift.
“That is cute,” said Erin, “but are you sure it’s safe? I know Jude’s a great swimmer, but you’ll be underwater all the way to the labs.”
“Of course I’m sure it’s safe,” Martin snapped. “Do you really think I would put our son’s life in danger?”
“No, I don’t,” Erin replied. “I’m only saying I think he’s a bit young to be alone in something like that. What if it leaks, and the Link goes down at exactly the wrong moment? Eamon would never know—”
“Do you think I won’t be watching him? What the hell, Erin? You’re the last person who should be telling me I don’t care about my son’s safety.”
“I didn’t say that you won’t be watching him,” Erin said hotly. Then she added, “What do you mean I’m the last person who can say you don’t care about Jude’s safety? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you weren’t so concerned about him last night, but you think it’s OK to criticize me.”
“Not concerned about Jude? Of course I was, I leapt off a balcony and took out a soldier to get to him. I hated to see him so frightened.”
“He wasn’t frightened, he was terrified.”
“But he didn’t come to any harm in the end, and he’s OK now.”
“You don’t know that. You don’t know him like we do; after he was born, you were hardly around. Maybe you just don’t care about him as much as Isa and I do.”
Isa sucked in a breath.
Erin looked like she’d been slapped.
Martin paused. He looked down at Jude, who was trying to open the little submersible, apparently oblivious to the angry words passing over his head.
Erin gazed at Martin steadily as if giving him the chance to retract his statement. He wouldn’t look at her.
She carefully put down the spoon she’d been idly holding and rose to her feet. She walked past Martin, and disappeared into the house.
“Martin,” Isa said as soon as she was sure Erin was out of earshot. “How could you tell Erin she doesn’t care about Jude like we do? That was a terrible thing to say.”
“Maybe it was, but maybe I’m right too. You saw how she behaved last night…. Your evening was ruined, Jude was a screaming mess, and she didn’t care. She sided with Tanis, the person who orchestrated the whole thing, and who could have stopped it if she’d wanted to. Only she didn’t. She allowed it all to go ahead, knowing full well that the drill would spoil everything you worked for, and that there was a young child present.”
“She said she didn’t know it was happening then,” Isa countered, but Martin cut her off with a wave of his hand.
“All it would have taken was a note to the commander not to attack your gallery because there were children present. Do you think our governor would have let the drill go ahead if her own kids had been there? I bet she wouldn’t.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” said Isa. “Maybe she would. Tanis has the whole system to think of, don’t forget. We’r
e all depending on her. Millions of us. And it wasn’t only my gallery that was attacked—there were lots more places throughout Heliopolis. I saw it on the feeds last night.”
Martin said, “You’re too nice for your own good, Isa. Just because you got friendly with Tanis while we were in Landfall doesn’t mean you have to defend her.”
Isa’s eyes narrowed, but she forced the frustration from her voice. “I’m not as nice as you think. I’m only trying to see it from her perspective. Martin, please go and talk to Erin. You really hurt her feelings—what you said was flat out rude. I already have the aftermath of the drill to deal with at work. I don’t want to have to deal with it at home too.”
Martin’s expression softened ever so slightly. “All right, I will. I don’t think I should have to, but since you’re asking me, I’ll try.”
Isa watched him as he also disappeared into the house. She hoped that his apology would sound sincere and that Erin would forgive him.
When Martin was out of sight, she told the servitor to gather the breakfast dishes. Most of the food remained uneaten.
For a few moments, there was silence on the terrace except for the sound of dishes being stacked and the scrape of the submersible on the stone floor. Jude had given up on trying to get inside it and was just pushing it around.
The calm was suddenly disturbed by the sound of raised voices, coming from the direction of the master bedroom, the window of which overlooked the terrace.
Isa winced. It didn’t sound like Martin’s apology had been effective. Though she could hear Martin and Erin’s shouts, she couldn’t make out the words.
She put her hands in her lap and gazed out to sea once more as she listened unwillingly to the fight going on above her.
“What’s wrong, Mommy Isa?” Jude asked.
He left his submersible where he’d pushed it against the railing and skipped to her side. He rested his head on her lap and looked up at her with wide eyes.
“Nothing. I’m OK, sweetheart.”